Apache Junction police to work with Mesa PD for driving, firearms, tactics training

By Richard Dyer
Mail | X: @RHDyer

The Apache Junction Police Department is partnering with Mesa Police Department for driving-track, firearms and force/defensive tactics-related training.

Authorizing an intergovernmental agreement for cooperative law enforcement training operations with the city of Mesa was approved by the Apache Junction City Council June 16 as part of a consent agenda with other items.

The agreement runs through May 3, 2027, with the option for two additional two-year renewals, AJPD Lt. Seth Painter said during the council’s June 1 work session.

“This IGA represents a great partnership opportunity. Mesa PD operates its own dedicated driving track, which would be huge for us,” he said. “We would reduce duplication and operational costs, and it’s also regional training so it would improve interoperability between our agencies.”

Each agency would remain responsible for its own personnel and equipment, he said.

Mesa and Apache Junction police will benefit by training together, said Councilmember Bryan Soller, who is a Mesa police officer.

“One thing that the city of Mesa police do extremely well is training, I have to give them that. I’ve been there for 32.5 years. So I agree 100% with this. Getting on board with them and getting trained and cross-trained so if we ever have to come over here or you have to come over there to help us out, we’re all on the same page,” he said.

Councilmember Peter Heck asked what expenses the city of Apache Junction will have in addition to providing personnel and equipment.

“No expense attached to the IGA. If there was some kind of training expense that both agencies agreed to, they could agree to that at the time. Like if they needed to rent a vehicle or something for example it would be a shared expense and we would have to agree on it at the time,” Painter said.

The Mesa City Council approved its resolution for the partnership at a meeting June 1.

Richard H. Dyer can be reached at rdyer@iniusa.org, or on X @rhdyer. Please submit comments at yourvalley.net/letters or email them to AzOpinions@iniusa.org. We are committed to publishing a wide variety of reader opinions, as long as they meet our Civility Guidelines, https://www.yourvalley.net/civility-checklist/.

Richard Dyer
Managing Editor | East Valley

rdyer@iniusa.org

Meet Richard
Richard Dyer has worked at Independent Newsmedia Inc. USA since 1987, starting his career in Apache Junction as a copy editor and being promoted over the years to work as the editor of the Mesa Independent, news services editor for the East Valley office in Apache Junction, managing editor for the East Valley office, news services editor for the East Valley office and eventually also for the newspapers at INI’s then-Chandler office, managing editor again and as a news editor covering Apache Junction/Gold Canyon and Queen Creek. He helped start the Florence Independent while the news editor covering Apache Junction and Mesa news. In January 2023, he became associate managing editor for the East Valley newspapers and in August 2023 became managing editor for the East Valley newspapers of Chandler/Tempe, Gilbert, Queen Creek, Florence, Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon, while also reporting on Mesa and Apache Junction/Gold Canyon.  

Community: Since 2009, he has worked as a volunteer to design The Blue Guitar Magazine, Blue Guitar Jr. magazine and Unstrung magazine, which are projects of The Arizona Consortium for the Arts; and since 2014, has been overseeing the art submissions. 

Education: University of Arizona with a master of arts in journalism and a bachelor of science in agricultural communication. Also continuing education at Mesa Community College in welding in a metal art sculpture class.

Random fact: Saw his first tornado on May 31, 2010, which was classified as an EF-2, as part of a stormchasing tour group.

Hobbies: He is an artist of welded-steel sculptures, selling his artwork at juried and non-juried art shows.